The Missing Boy
by thisiswhyihatemylife
Summary: Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't think. How he wished he had noticed before. The same whisker marks and sparkling blue eyes belonging to one Uzumaki Naruto, the same kid whom mysteriously vanished months before - the missing boy. Adoption in progress.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Summary: **Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't think. How he wished he had noticed before. The same whisker marks and sparkling blue eyes belonging to one Uzumaki Naruto, the same kid whom mysteriously vanished months before - the missing boy. AU SasuNaru.

**Note: **Idea starting out as a one-shot, now it's a multi-chapter story. Enjoy!

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Nine months.

That's how long it had been.

Nine whole months to the day since his fourteen year old son had went missing, just to disappear into oblivion.

On a sturdy oak table stood a framed picture of a family of three: a young blonde man, his beautiful redheaded wife, and their infant son - the same boy whom would vanish several years afterward. A blue eyed male wearing the Hokage robes sat behind said table, glancing wistfully at the image.

Namizake Minato wasn't a stupid man by any means. He knew that his child wasn't just missing - he had been taken. By whom? He couldn't say for sure. That's what the distraught father wanted so desperately to figure out. And with that, the blonde man figured that the longer it took for the Konoha Police Force to find the boy, the more of a failure he really was.

The man had always wanted the best for his son, no matter what. It was one of his biggest promises he had made to his late wife Uzumaki Kushina, who had died after she had left him and an eight year old Naruto to fend for themselves.

Now, with him still being the town's hero and Yondaime Hokage, his negative thoughts were - if he couldn't protect his own flesh and blood, how was he ever going to measure up protecting the rest of his citizens?

* * *

**The Missing Boy**

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**Chapter 1**

Sixteen year old Uchiha Sasuke didn't want to seem too eager. If anything, the dark haired youth needed to be poised and elegant.

He had to maintain steady control, after all. He came from a well rounded, wealthy family that all the other clans in the Konoha village admired and respected. There was no way he was going to literally dash down the stairs to greet his older brother who he hadn't seen in over a year because of the other's schooling.

With a quick look in his elongated mirror while running his pale fingers through his dark locks, Sasuke prepared to present himself as diligently as humanly possible.

The raven bounded - casually, he might add - from his heightened room upstairs to the marble entryway where his power driven parents were getting reacquainted with their older son.

Uchiha Itachi regarded his parents with a cool indifference. The other raven had been embraced by his mother warmly, and given a curt nod by his father. As soon as his crimson eyes had landed on Sasuke, the older teen smirked in amusement to his younger brother's concealed happiness.

"Hello, little brother."

"Itachi," Sasuke announced with forced nonchalance.

The boys' father, Fugaku brought the older teen's attention back to him with introductory questions about how his trip had been, and how college was going. Within a few moments, Sasuke brought his eyes to rest on a figure that was a couple of feet away from the conversing family.

The person was wearing all black, a hooded sweater shielding the better part of their face. The raven could fairly make out a few dark locks that had escaped from the upper clothing.

Taking a step forward, Sasuke noticed the person would glance at the front door every few seconds. It was as though they wanted to make a quick escape; at least, that was what it looked like to Sasuke.

"Who's that?" The youngest Uchiha pointed at the figure.

Itachi, along with his parents, ceased talking to stare back at the person Sasuke motioned toward. A frown adorned on the older raven's face momentarily before his usual stoic face came back into place.

"He's...none of your concern." Itachi coolly responded.

"Shouldn't you be introducing him?" Sasuke asked, not taking his eyes off the figure who began fidgeting, "Isn't that the proper thing to do, Aniki?"

The older raven narrowed his eyes at his brother, barely realizing that their mother Mikoto had walked over to the one identified as a boy. "This is him, isn't it?" She whispered uncertainly.

Sasuke was more confused than ever. "What are you talking about, mother?"

The boy dressed in dark nervously stepped away from the approaching woman. Mikoto came to stand in front of him and reached out a hand, only to have it slapped away by her oldest. Itachi practically hissed,

"I said he's none of your concern!"

"Itachi," his pale skinned mother gulped, "how...how could you bring _him_ here?"

"I had no other choice."

"I beg to differ," Fugaku scowled, glaring at the boy who flinched in response. "I want him removed from my home immediately."

The red eyed older teen wanted to scoff at his father. "Haven't you forgotten that I'm still visiting? I promise he won't be a hindrance. Besides, we won't be here longer than a week."

"I don't care," argued the older man, "either get rid of him, or I will." And with that, the leader Uchiha turned away, and headed down to his study, a room he would occupy when he was the most annoyed or upset. Itachi watched his father leave, hissing irritably to the older man's stubbornness.

Mikoto was next to her older son, and lifted her hand to rest on his shoulder. He brushed her off rudely without saying another word, then he grabbed the black dressed boy and nearly dragged him to the family room. Sasuke followed in pursuit.

Stopping to take a seat on his family's beige couch, Itachi carelessly pushed the younger boy down. The black wearing figure tried to stand back up, but the older raven grabbed his arm harshly, and screamed at him to obey him.

Sasuke looked straight at the two with the utmost confused expression. Hesitantly, he strolled over to stand in front of his older brother and the mysterious stranger.

"What do you want, Sasuke?" His brother questioned.

"Who is he, really?" The younger raven asked understandably.

"What did I tell you before? He is none of your concern."

The onyx eyed teen brought his eyes to rest on the younger boy. "Why doesn't mother and father want him here?" He continued to ignore what Itachi had been saying to him. Cautiously sitting down on the other side of the boy, Sasuke tried unsuccessfully to peer into the other's hidden face. "Is he a threat, perhaps?"

Itachi smirked at his little brother's reasoning. "You're very observant, aren't you, little brother?" Sasuke frowned, knowing that his older brother was teasing him. "I'll tell you what - if you do me a favor, then later I'll tell you who he is."

The dark haired youth folded his arms to his chest. "What is it?"

"I need you to keep him in your room until tomorrow. Father will surely search my room for him."

"And how do you know that he might not try and search _my _room?"

Itachi's smirk seemed to widened into a sneer. "He won't." He said with confidence.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What if I refuse?"

"You won't."

The younger raven scowled at the older teen's arrogance. The thing was, he knew his brother was right - Sasuke would usually surrender to his brother's whims. For one, he loved him and wanted to be just like him but, in this particular circumstance, the raven was letting curiosity get the best of him.

"Fine." Sasuke stood up, a disapproving frown on his face. "Let's go." He instructed to the mysterious stranger. The figure bowed his head down, letting his obsidian bangs escape a bit more from his hood. "I said let's--" Sasuke was cut off as his brother stood as well, and slapped the said boy.

The raven widened his eyes in horror. True, his brother wasn't the nicest person in the world, but his younger brother never thought he would go as low as harming another human being.

"What the hell's a matter with you?! Can you not hear?! Get up!" Itachi shouted. The figure scrambled to his feet, holding his bruised cheek with his right hand.

Spinning around to avoid his brother, Sasuke began making his way to his the upper floor. The black hooded figure was a few steps behind. The raven clenched his teeth as Itachi called out a casual "Good night," before the two boys leisurely climbed the stairs, and headed for Sasuke's bedroom.

Opening his double doors to enter his bedroom, the raven stalked over to his closed laptop lying on his desktop near the window. The mysterious boy had stopped in the doorway, seemingly looking around the room in morbid interest.

Long fingers clutched the ends of the black colored screen, and lifted the laptop open. He pressed the power button, and the computerized equipment roared to life. The wheeled chair next to the desktop was pulled out so that the dark haired youth could occupy it.

"You can come in, you know." The raven voiced to the other without having to spin around. In a slow stride, the black wearing figure nearly tiptoed his way into the luxurious room. "Do you read books?" Sasuke asked, watching him out of the corner of his eye. The boy nodded his head. "You could go ahead and choose whichever book you like." He then pointed to his book collection on the other side of his room.

Within minutes, both males were silent with the exception of the echoing of the typed keys from the computer. While Sasuke finished up his essay for World History, the mysterious boy sat cross legged on the floor, scanning from one of his chosen books to another.

Tilting his head from one side to another to pop his joints, the raven spun around to look straight at the other boy. Narrowing his eyes in scrutiny, Sasuke figured that if he could get the other to talk, maybe he could figure out who he was without his brother knowing.

"Who are you? Why are you here?"

The figure didn't answer at first; Sasuke thought most likely he wasn't going to say anything at all, but the boy surprised him. "I'm...a friend."

The raven eyed the boy in slight annoyance. "Well, _friend, _do you have a name?"

More silence. And as the boy brought his hand out to cover more of his face with the clothing, Sasuke was sure he was going to blow a fuse and explode. Finally, after what seemed like ages, a gentle voice whispered. "...A...Aki...hito..."

"Akihito? That's your name?" The boy nodded hastily. "Do you have a last name?"

"No."

Sasuke frowned, but decided to question that piece of information later. "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Nice to meet you." The boy who called himself Akihito muttered. He quickly brought one of the books up to hide behind. The way those bottomless midnight eyes bored into him was unnerving.

"Why do you keep hiding your face?" Akihito didn't answer. Sasuke scowled because of this. "It's rude to ignore someone when they ask you a question."

"Because..."

"Because what?"

"I..." the other boy took a shuddering breath, then continued, "t-to show my face, I have to be able to exist. I...don't think I exist anymore."

* * *

Unable to sleep, darkened eyes stared straight at the smooth ceiling that was above. The shadows from the outside would rotate every so often as the night sky continued to move on its axis.

Sasuke turned over on his side on his bed to glance at the sleeping figure that was lying in a sleeping bag supplied by the raven. After Akihito had admitted to Sasuke about not existing, the two boys had went back to what they had been doing previous.

The raven had been very confused, and even a bit frightened by the other boy's words. What was worse, he had a feeling that the other teen was in trouble. He was quite suspicious with his family's attitude towards the boy, especially his brother Itachi.

With his mind set and feeling as though something were wrong, Sasuke carefully removed himself from his heavy blankets, and lowered his body to the carpet. He crawled over to the other boy, frowning when he saw the same sweater shielding his face.

Slowly, as to not alert the other, he pushed the hood out of the other boy's eyes. The darkness of the room was still hiding half of his face; the raven used his hand to bring the other's face closer to his. What he saw brought a startled gasp from his pale lips.

Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't think. How he wished he had noticed before. The same whisker marks and sparkling blue eyes belonging to one Uzumaki Naruto, the same kid whom mysteriously vanished months before - the missing boy.

With a start, it took the raven a few seconds longer to realize that the reason he could see those eyes were that they were looking right at him. The hood that had laid flat on Uzumaki's head had fallen to the boy's back. Sasuke frowned when he saw that the younger boy's hair was black. The youngest Uchiha had seen pictures, even on milk cartons, of this boy - his hair had been blonde before.

"You lied," the raven whispered with a hint of anger, "your name's not Akihito."

The blue eyed teen turned his head to the side, and closed his eyes briefly. After a minute, he turned back to look at Sasuke sadly. "Please don't tell anyone." He whispered back.

"You're Hokage-sama's son." It was a statement, not a question.

The teen identified now as Naruto refrained from saying anything else. Instead, he turned away from those accusing onyx eyes, and felt as the tears escaped from his now closed eyelids. He sobbed silently to himself, as Sasuke stared at his back.

At this point, the obsidian eyed teen didn't know what to say. Even though Naruto had told him not to tell anyone, he knew that he had to. The whole village it seemed had gotten on their hands and knees in searching for this boy, and here he was - right in front of him!

With a firm determination and finality in his voice, the raven spoke softly: "I'm going to help you, no matter what."

Not waiting for the other boy to answer, Sasuke got up and walked back to his bed. He settled in comfortably, and forcefully closed his eyes to slumber. He didn't know how yet, but the raven knew that the Uzumaki kid needed to be saved, and he would be the one to do it.

* * *

The Uchiha wasn't too surprised to wake up the next day to find that the sleeping bag was empty. As the morning light had peeked its way through the raven's window, Sasuke had thought over and over on how he was going to go about helping the Yondaime's son.

Because of his parents' reaction last night, the teen figured that they at least knew what was going on. He couldn't well ask them for help. The only other option he had was to find a trustworthy adult at his school.

After a calming shower and dressing properly in his school uniform, the raven headed downstairs to be greeted by the silence of the kitchen. Grabbing an apple from inside the refrigerator, dark eyes landed outside where Itachi's car was still parked.

Although Sasuke was relieved about that, he wasn't so sure that he should be totally at ease. It was obvious that his brother had hid Naruto somewhere else. The teen spun back around, intent on confronting his brother. He didn't have to go far as he viewed with narrowed eyes that Itachi carelessly made his presence known in the living room.

Stomping over where his older brother was sitting down on the couch, the younger raven came to stand in front of him, like he did the previous night. The older Uchiha looked at Sasuke with amusing red eyes.

"Good morning, little brother. Did you sleep well?"

"Where is he?" The other hissed disregarding his brother's question.

Itachi smirked. "Ah, yes. I meant to thank you this morning for letting him stay in your room for the night. I'm sure you two had a lot to talk about."

"Don't bullshit me, Itachi. Where is he?!"

"Is that the kind of language they teach you at that slum they call a school?" The older raven chuckled darkly.

"Where did you put him?"

Standing upward to stretch his arms into the air momentarily, the crimson eyed teen innocently said: "Oh, I'm sure he's around here somewhere. He could be in a cardboard box for all we know."

Sasuke clenched his fists to his sides. "How could you do this, Aniki?" He snapped. "You're holding that boy against his will. This is kidnapping!"

Itachi chuckled at his brother once more, making his way to the front door. "Not true, little brother. He's free to leave whenever he wants to."

"You're lying, to me no less," the raven said seriously. "you're not the man I thought you were. I...I can't let you do this. I'll tell."

The last sentence from the raven's mouth was enough to halt Itachi in his tracks. His red colored eyes were so full of pure fury, Sasuke was sure that if he were anyone else, he would have dropped dead instantly.

With a speed and fierceness unlike no other, Itachi pinned his brother to the living room wall. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock and terror. He was about to yell out for help, but Itachi quickly brought his hand to cover the other's mouth.

"You listen to me, you little brat. If there is one thing I absolutely loathe, it's punks like you not knowing when to mind their own business." The older raven took a second to peer into the other's eyes. "You better keep your goddamn mouth shut, or the Uzumaki kid won't be the only one to be hurt. I would have no problem getting_ rid_ of either you or our useless parents."

The obsidian eyed teen began to struggle as he heard the threat. Moments later, Itachi released him, and laughed hollowly as the younger boy slumped to the floor sluggishly.

"You are weak." The crimson eyed teen declared, before walking away. "Have a good day at school, Sasuke." Before he left, he said with mirth. "Oh, by the way, don't bother trying to look for him. As far as your concerned, he doesn't even exist." The door slammed shut afterward.

_"I..." the other boy took a shuddering breath, then continued, "t-to show my face, I have to be able to exist. I...don't think I exist anymore."_

Shakily standing upright, Sasuke went over in his head that Itachi had said the same thing Naruto had. But could he really do that? Could he just forget and walk away from the other boy even if said boy needed help? Was he really that cruel?

Composing himself as best he could, the dark haired youth walked over to retrieve his backpack, which was conveniently behind the couch, and exited the house to head for school.

* * *

Pale green eyes would glance over every couple of minutes to watch the clearly upset Uchiha as he and two others sat down at the lunch table all the way in the back of the crowded cafeteria.

"Would you stop already, Sakura?" A blonde girl said in exasperation as she peered into her miniature makeup mirror. "You're making it so obvious."

The two best friends were seated in a group of other females on a circular table. The chatter and laughter coming from the other teenagers throughout the mess hall still didn't distract one pink haired girl as she looked on dreamily at her dark haired crush.

"I wonder what he's thinking about," the girl name Sakura said more to herself than anyone. "He seems...I don't know, so sad."

"I'd be sad too if all I had were two weirdo friends, and a single fan girl stalker." Yamanaka Ino snickered at her own joke while she also looked at the raven.

The green eyed girl pouted. "I'm not a stalker, thank you very much." She took a pause, before something occurred to her. "Didn't you used to like him?"

"_Used_ to being the key word. Look, if you're that interested, why don't you just ask him out?"

"I-I...I can't do that!"

"Why not?" Ino then smirked in mischief. "Afraid he'll reject you, big forehead?"

"S-Shut up, Ino-pig! I'm not afraid. In fact, I'll show you."

As defiantly as she could, the pink haired girl rummaged her way through the boisterous crowd while Sasuke rested his head on the palm of his hand with a defeated look on his face. After sighing for what seemed the millionth time, his pupil-less friend Hyuuga Neji growled out,

"Stop that."

"Huh?" The raven blinked a few times stupidly.

"Whatever it is that's bothering you, do something about it."

"How would you know something's bothering me?!" Sasuke snapped irritably.

"You're unusual indifferent mask has been slipping all day." Their lazy friend Nara Shikamaru clarified with a yawn. The raven was about to speak up with a retort when a shy voice mumbled. "Sasuke?"

All three heads turned at the source. Standing there in front of them was none other than Haruno Sakura. The girl gave a nervous smile, and scooted closer to Sasuke with a blush on her cheeks.

"What do you want?" He asked icily.

"Well, I...I was wondering if you...wanted..." As the Haruno girl stuttered, the onyx eyed teen's focus went elsewhere as he listened to two other teens bring up an interesting conversation. The two boys happened to be walking past by the three other boys' table.

"...I think that kid was definitely kidnapped. Someone just wouldn't go and disappear without saying a word."

"I don't think it matters either way. The Hokage should just face the fact that his son is probably dead, at least that's what my dad says..."

The raven ignored his friends and the pink haired girl as he nearly jumped out of the table, and bombarded his way through the multiple bodies. Hearing the two teens mentioning the Hokage and his kidnapped son made the teen's stomach tie up in knots. He knew he just couldn't sit around and do nothing.

Sprinting - because Uchihas didn't run - Sasuke was quick to make it to the classroom he directed his body towards. Stopping in front of the wooden door, a pale fist knocked rather harshly onto the surface. He prayed that the teacher he was searching for held his lunch break in said class.

Taking deep breaths to calm his nerves, the teen didn't have to wait long as the door opened gradually, and a young brunette man from behind it smiled warmly at the boy.

"Hello there, Sasuke. What can I do for you?"

"Iruka-sensei, I...have to tell you something."

The English teacher Umino Iruka looked on worriedly at his student. "What is it? Is there something wrong?"

"S-Something bad has happened, and I..." the Uchiha trailed off, and blinked rapidly as he felt liquid emerging from his eyes. Even with his amount of strength, Sasuke began to sniffle; strong arms wrapped around him as he did so.

In the end, he couldn't do it. He couldn't tell. He honestly did want to help the Uzumaki kid, but Itachi's cold words kept buzzing around in his mind. As Iruka rocked the crying teen, who hadn't cried openly in years, Sasuke couldn't help but feel a swell of guilt build up in his chest. With that in mind, the raven believed what his brother had told him.

He was weak.

* * *

First chapter complete.

R&R, much appreciated. Thanks!

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Summary: **Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't think. How he wished he had noticed before. The same whisker marks and sparkling blue eyes belonging to one Uzumaki Naruto, the same kid whom mysteriously vanished months before - the missing boy. AU SasuNaru.

**Notes: **Chapter Re-uploaded. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Also to those favorites and story alerts; that makes me more determined to write this story to the best of my abilities!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

A shrill electric sound echoing throughout the empty hallways of Konoha High signaled the end of the day for the students as crowds of teenage bodies emerged from the multiple classrooms of the school.

The numerous exciting chatters could be heard from every inch of the two-story building; thus, while a group of giggling girls trudged passed the public bathroom, one conflicting raven was inside one of its stalls with his knees bent to his chest and his face full of tear marks as he sat on the sit of the toilet.

Red puffy eyes stared blankly ahead, seemingly gawking at the stalls' green entrance door. However, his mind was on a different matter entirely. He felt so stupid for exposing his weakness to one of his teachers - the mother hen, no less. What was worse, his mind was torn over whether to protect he and family or to help the alleged kidnapped boy.

Loosening his legs so that they could drop back to the ground, the Uchiha's face hardened. He began thinking negative thoughts then about the boy, unconsciously blaming him for all that was happening.

The dark haired youth stood up angrily minutes later. Suddenly, without warning, he punched the side of the stall in maddening frustration. Why was he still dwelling on this? There certainly was no comparison; of course Sasuke was going to do whatever he had to in order for his family to be safe.

_Besides, _he thought as he exited the stall to walk up in front of the mirror, _how do I not know that the Uzumaki kid didn't just run away? Maybe he and Itachi _are _really good friends, and Itachi was just in a more bitchy mood than usual._

Even with the slight animosity he held for the boy at the moment, in the back of his mind he didn't believe that. That night, the night he had spent in Sasuke's bedroom, the raven could feel that the other was in trouble. Why else would he use a fake name, and claim that he didn't exist anymore?

Turning the knob to rinse his hands and wiped his face, Sasuke frowned and internally cursed himself. He knew that if he didn't sort all of these assumptions in his head soon, he was going to lose his sanity. The raven finished afterward, drying his hands with the paper towel provided by the bathroom.

Sasuke was relieved to find that the halls were vacant, that no one was in sight. He went forward, his shoes hitting the flat ground softly. Recalling in his thoughts on how the boy had looked before, and how jumpy he had been, the teen clenched his eyes shut as the feeling of guilt crept inside of him once again. What kind of person blames another for the former's problems?

_I do, apparently. _The onyx eyed teen heaved a sigh. _Could this day getting any worse for me?_

"Sasuke-kun!"

The raven stopped but made no attempt to turn around, and face yet again another one of his fan girls. Stepping ahead within seconds and ignoring the female's cries, the pale teen snorted somberly. This was the obvious irony to his now growing misfortune.

The footsteps from behind him increased, meaning the girl had gotten even closer. Nevertheless, Sasuke continued to walk even as his pink haired pursuer came beside him.

Sakura blushed as the two undoubtedly paced together side by side. She smiled uneasily, seeing if she could get a reaction out of him. It didn't work, so she decided to make conversation.

"Sasuke-kun, I was so worried when you ran off during lunch. You seemed pretty upset. Are you okay?" No answer. Sakura frowned. "You can at least answer my question."

"...No."

"No to you're not okay?"

"No to I don't have to answer your question."

The teen girl's mouth opened up in disbelief. She halted her movements all together as she watched her crush scamper away to exit the high school. Feeling her heart break little by little, the pink haired girl lowered her head in defeat. How was she supposed to win the boy of her dreams over if the said boy had such an icy exterior?

* * *

Sasuke wanted to scream out as he stood before an extra space on his family's semi circular paved driveway. Itachi was gone, which meant more than likely that Naruto was too. _Or he still could be hidden inside the house..._

Flustered beyond belief, the dark haired teen nearly stomped his way to the house, destroying some of the delicate plants and bricked formation in the process. The golden handle to the front door was roughly grabbed and pushed as the teen entered inside.

He carelessly threw his backpack on the couch, and began scanning any rooms he came into contact with. The raven knew it were a long shot, but he would never forgive himself if he didn't at least search the house.

Even with the tiny possibility of the boy being stashed somewhere in the house, the Uchiha was mainly looking for clues - clues that would tie to his family about what exactly was going on.

During his exploration, Sasuke had to be vigilant and collected, if his father were to find out that his youngest son had came into his parents' bedroom at one point, there would be a whole mess of pain. Sasuke mentally shuddered at the thought.

Forty five minutes into the search, the obsidian eyed boy couldn't find anything of use; and now, it was obvious that the Uzumaki was long gone. He had hoped that Itachi would have stayed like he said he would. Without coming up with any other conclusions, the teen figured that his brother thought it would be too risky in leaving the other boy around.

Feeling his rising fatigue, the raven made his way to his room. What he didn't depend on as he opened the door was to find his mother leaning over his desktop, and tinkering with his laptop. He saw that she were searching through into his memory files.

"Mother, what are you doing in here?"

Caught off guard, the Uchiha woman twirled around with an aghast look on her face. The expression quickly morphed into a sickeningly sweet smile as she took the liberty to turn off her son's laptop.

"Hello, Sasuke, how was school?" The brunette woman warily took a step toward the teen.

"You're in my room." He ignored her question. Why should he say anything when she were obviously trying to change the subject? "Why?"

Mikoto bit her lip anxiously. "I was just looking at a few of your assignments. Nothing to worry about, dear."

"On the contrary," the raven stalked over and sat on the edge of his bed; his mother watching him nervously, "there is much to worry about."

"Sasuke, I don't know what you--"

"You knew, didn't you?" The frustrated teen narrowed his eyes into slits.

"I'm sorry, knew what?"

"Where's Itachi?" The raven stated casually, quite aware that his mother was getting more and more nervous by the second.

"He left us, honey. You see, he and your father had a huge fight this morning--"

"--over the Uzumaki kid, is that right?"

Mikoto gasped in astonishment, her hand lifting to cover her mouth in despair. Sasuke looked at her coldly, the infamous Uchiha glare firmly placed on his handsome features.

Neither spoke for next five minutes; both of them wallowing in their own inner thoughts. The raven wanted so much to destroy something, _anything _at that point. It was sickening for him. Although his mother didn't come right out and say it, he knew that she and his father were just as much responsible as his brother Itachi.

Adjusting his body so that he didn't have to face his mother, Sasuke took a moment to calm his racing thoughts. It didn't help any as his mother began to speak once again.

"Please, let me explain, I--"

"I can't believe this," the teen voiced his thoughts aloud, "this whole time, I've been living in a household full of criminals."

"Sasuke--"

"Get out of my room, mother."

Waiting to explain beforehand, the brunette knew by the posture of her son that he wasn't going to listen to anything further. With one final look at the boy, she dejectedly walked back over to the bedroom door.

Without having to turn around she said from the doorway: "I know you may be disappointed, but I don't want you involved in this." Sasuke could swear he saw red in his vision. "It would be best to just forget about that boy. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

The dark haired youth didn't even respond to her as his mother disappeared down the hall. Instead, he lied down on his side trying to relax his tense muscles.

"Dammit!" He screamed, clutching his bedsheets desperately in his palm. _What am I supposed to do now?_

_

* * *

_Tapping fingers on a steering wheel became incredibly repetitive as the impatient driver connected to those fingers waited for the green light of the traffic signal outside to reappear.

A blonde teen had been sitting in his car before the intersection for the last two minutes. The weather combined with the twinkling evening sky was cool, and would have been soothing for him during any other time. A growl erupted from the said teen's throat as vehicles from the other side were allowed to drive away.

On the verge of calling up the county for their crappy street signals, the light changed to show that the cars were able to go. Nearly smashing his foot on the gas pedal, the long haired blonde maneuvered skillfully on the highway in a way that would have counted as illegal.

Sweat began to seep from his pores on his forehead; he had gotten a call from his boyfriend two hours ago. Needless to say, the teen was very nervous to meet the other, especially considering the latter's temper.

Twenty minutes passed as the expensive vehicle the aforementioned teenager was driving expertly made a right turn into the entrance of a famed hotel parking lot.

With a friendly nod to the security guard scanning the area, the blonde made his way to the sixth floor, and proceeded to park on the far end of the the left side. He exited his car, pocketing his keys without a care in the world.

The blonde was rather glad that he hadn't ran into anyone; he took the parking lot's underground elevator to navigate to the top floor of the hotel. Leaving his electric transportation, he walked promptly to encounter a door, which he nervously knocked on.

The creaking sound indicated that the door had been opened; the blonde stood before an emotionless raven staring at him with sinister red eyes.

"Good evening, Itachi-kio," the long haired blonde smiled sheepishly, "I know I'm late, but I was stuck in--"

"Get in here now." The other's voice was cold and flat.

The crimson eyed older teen grabbed the blonde harshly, making the other hiss from the painful occurrence. Itachi was swift to shut the door, and glared at the long haired one menacingly.

Clutching his throbbing arm, the blonde smirked. "I see that you are just as impatient as I am, yeah?"

"What time is it, Deidara?"

"A quarter after six."

"And what time did I tell you to be here?"

"Four thirty."

The long haired Deidara couldn't have been more unprepared when a flying fist connected with his lower jaw. The teen yelped at the excruciation of the hit before falling clumsily on his back to the cream-colored carpet.

The raven watched the other collapse with unreadable eyes, just standing a few steps away as his blonde lover held on dearly to his injured face in agony. Bravely, the blonde snapped his head up angrily, and eventually became more enraged when the raven haired teen smirked in amusement.

"You're a sadistic asshole!" The raven wasn't fazed at all by his boyfriend's outburst.

"You astound me."

"S-Shut up! Just tell me where Naru is, so that I can take him and go." Itachi's awful playfulness disappeared, and was replaced with a disapproving frown. He then spun around, and strolled toward the farther room in the back of the purchased suite.

Deidara followed him, wanting to keep a safe distance between himself and his volatile boyfriend. The raven pushed opened the glass door, and pointed to a king sized bed accompanied by a motionless sleeping boy.

"If you hadn't stuck me with this little demon, I could have still have been at my parents' house. My father kicked me out because of him."

"It's not my fault Orochimaru-sama called me in earlier to discuss this month's inventory schedule!" The blonde teen exclaimed in irritation.

Visibly stepping away from the angered raven, Deidara walked to the side of the bed. He then crouched down, and gave a gentle smile as the Uzumaki continued to doze.

Using his hand to push some of the fallen dyed dark hair away from the younger teen's face, the blonde grasped the boy's shoulder and softly shook it to awaken him. Once closed eyes innocently blinked a couple of times to reveal breathtaking crystalline blue.

Naruto's lips lifted upward in a half smile; he was grateful that the first thing to greet him after his forced nap was the gracious blonde Deidara.

"Hi, Deidara."

"Hello, Naru. I'm here to take you with me. Let's go, yeah?" The Hokage's son nodded his head, and removed his body from the comfort of the enlarged bed. "I guess we'll take our leave now. Bye, Itachi."

Wanting so desperately to ignore him; but not needing his boyfriend to be suspicious from his actions, the blonde walked over to the crimson eyed teen and planted a chaste kiss on his lips as a farewell.

Before Deidara had a chance to stalk away, Itachi grabbed him by the waist and roughly pushed his dry lips to the other's. Naruto turned his head away from them, letting the two lovers have their privacy.

Sucking on the blonde's bottom lip, the raven used his tongue to slip inside the other teen's wet cavern. The Uchiha's wet muscle poked around the hot wetness to explore every moist inch, making his lover squirm underneath his embrace.

The pale hands on the narrow hips forced Deidara's body to come closer; the teens' crotches were aligned rubbing against one another and making the blonde arch with a sultry moan. Grabbing hold of back of the blonde's long hair possessively, Itachi bit the other's lips with his teeth.

His lover pulled away from the older teen's ruthless treatment, giving him a frightened look before it changed into a more annoyed one. Disregarding his boyfriend's attitude towards him, Itachi pushed the blonde away, his face going back to its original stoic manner.

"Get out." The raven haired teen stated.

With a nod, the blonde made a dash to the front room while leading the Uzumaki by the arm. Itachi watched them go briefly. When the door had slammed to show that the two had left, the raven headed over to the suite's diminutive kitchenette. He had then reached the phone to make a few calls.

* * *

"Are you okay, Naru?"

Cobalt eyes had been staring out of the clear car window, silently appreciating the outside while numerous trees and bushes passed the vehicle by. The surroundings on either side the car while they rode were of great mystery to the boy; he rarely was ever allowed outdoors so nature coincidentally started to fascinate him.

The blonde turned brunette spun around to face the older teen, putting on his cheerful facade as best he could with a smile that wouldn't - or better yet couldn't - reach his eyes anymore.

"I'm...okay. How about you?" The boy could see that a bruise was forming on the long haired teen's jaw.

Deidara stayed silent for a few moments, keeping his eyes on the road, and directing the car to the destination of his complex apartment. Casting his eyes down because the outside had become too bland, Naruto wasn't surprised to hear malice in the other's voice.

"I have to get away from him some day." The blonde teen slightly hissed through angered clenched teeth. "I hate him, yeah. I really do."

The Uzumaki didn't say anything to that. He knew that he didn't like the Uchiha too much either. Aside from Pein, who had been bold enough to be physically abusive towards him, Itachi was another person whom treated Naruto poorly, as though he deserved every minute of it. Having those thoughts relating to his self-worth never would suit well with him.

Feeling as though he ought to say something to the other, the boy bashfully brought himself into a more comfortable position so that he and the other could properly converse.

"I wish it could all just end." Naruto declared; he began to feel the familiar tightness to his chest that usually was accompanied by a sob.

Deidara stole a glance at the blue eyed teen, then said something that shocked the other: "What would you say if I were to let you go?" Naruto in his surprise hiccuped, his sapphire eyes becoming glassy. "I could just pull over, and let you out onto the sidewalk right now."

The Uzumaki hid his face with the red hoodie this time; he also covered up his hair. "You know we can't." He whispered in a mumble.

The blonde haired older teen put on a frown. "You're right. We both don't need the headache of having to watch our backs for the rest of our lives." Nearing his home, Deidara said suddenly: "We're going on a trip in a couple of weeks to Kyoto. I'll buy you some new clothes before then, yeah?"

"Can I take this dye out of my hair first? I promise that I'll keep my identity well hidden from everyone."

"I don't think Sasori-danna is going to like that suggestion very much. We'll just have to see."

"Please try to convince him, Deidara." The boy brought on the kicked puppy dog eyed look.

The blonde chuckled, his hands tilting the wheel to the left so that he could drive into a parking space. The apartments were fairly new, each painted with either a light pink or a sunny brown. The grass was trimmed with most of the tenants having their own set of vegetation.

Once the keys were removed from the ignition, and the car was turned off, the older teen led the boy to his apartment. Naruto loved coming to the place; Deidara along with Sasori always made him feel safe and secure, not to mention the neighborhood was unsoiled and pleasant.

The duo had to used the stone cobble steps of the stairs to make it to the second floor of the platform. Placing his key into the lock, the long haired teen emerged right into his modest living room. An attractive redhead was sitting on the couch that was against the wall; he had a paperback book in hand and reading glasses perched on his nose.

"When did you get here?" Deidara asked as he and Naruto strode across the living room to face the other.

"A little while ago. Hi there, Naruto." The Hokage's son waved meekly in welcome. "How'd everything go for you guys?" He removed his glasses and placed them beside his forgotten book.

"Besides Itachi being a complete icy bitch with a stick up his ass, I guess we're no worse than we were a couple of hours ago." While the older teens spoke to each other, the Uzumaki began to think that it would be best to mention the whole hair situation with Sasori the following day.

Witnessing the friends slash secret lovers embrace with the sweetest passion, the younger boy walked away in silence, and headed to the spare bedroom that was down at the end of the hall.

The protecting arms around the blonde's shoulders made the teen happily contented. His danna began placing soft kisses on his eyelids, nose, cheeks, then lips. The redhead's pale hand lightly touched the injured skin on the other's jaw; Deidara flinched at the feel.

"He hurt you." To anybody else, the way Sasori had said that statement sounded pretty calm. The blonde haired teen knew better though. His other lover was livid. "I'll kill him."

Deidara laughed, kissing the other right on the mouth. "That'll make two of us."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed, fellow authors and readers! R&R, please. Thanks!

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto

**Summary: **Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't think. How he wished he had noticed before. The same whisker marks and sparkling blue eyes belonging to one Uzumaki Naruto, the same kid whom mysteriously vanished months before - the missing boy. AU SasuNaru.

**AN: **Extreme writer's block - sorry about the lack of updates.

"Others Speak", **"Kyuubi Speaks"**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

_A Year Earlier..._

"...thus, when and _if_ the cell, hypothetically, ceases to age, biologically a living being can achieve--Oi! Naruto-kun, are you even listening to me?"

A very bored blonde boy sat in disinterest in front of a wooden desk, gazing out the opened window to his right. The light breeze from the outside blew aimlessly through the said blonde's tresses. The afternoon sunlight was slowly but surely disappearing behind the horizon. The natural colors of orange, yellow, and blue were magnificent, as though a professional painter captured the scene.

"I heard you, Kabuto-san." The blonde mumbled, shifting in his seat.

Twenty something Yakushi Kabuto raised his eyebrow, quite annoyed that the Hokage's supposed genius son was sometimes nothing more than an inattentive, spoiled brat. When the silver-haired young man had been hired by the Yondaime for his intellect, he had been honored; mainly, because he had thought he would be an assistant to the older blonde. Clearly, that hadn't been the case.

"Oh? What did I say then? Repeat it back to me."

"Biological immortality is the absence of aging, specifically in the decrease in mortality in cells; thus, when and if the cell--"

The look on Kabuto's face was one reserved for those whom were in need of a good ass whooping. Breathing heavily through his nose, the bespectacled male eyed the blonde in a glare. Naruto spun his head to calmly stared back, although he was a bit unsettled internally.

It wasn't the first time he had unintentionally pushed the older man's buttons. And even so, it wasn't as though the lesson wasn't interesting. Naruto actually loved theories and hypotheses when it came to sciences; he just wished he wasn't sheltered from the outside world. That, and he didn't fully trust Kabuto.

Being the Yellow Flashes's son, Naruto understandably didn't have a normal childhood. He was always securely guarded by the ANBU, and rarely got to play with regular kids his own age. More so than that, his father was probably the most overbearing parent in the history of Konoha. If someone even looked at his boy funny, he would have that mentioned person investigated greatly.

Consumed with so much loneliness, the sapphire eyed, golden haired boy had fabricated an imaginary friend named Kyuubi, a fiery nine tailed fox demon similar to the one from the Japanese legends he had learned about when he was younger. The two beings were polar opposites - where Naruto was a dependent, quiet child; Kyuubi was a boisterous, troublemaker. In situations like these, the blonde would give anything for Kyuu's outward sarcasm.

"What?" Naruto tilted his head curiously, his bangs falling in front of his forehead. "I repeated what you had said."

Kabuto sighed, pinching the edge of his nose. "Yes, but when reciting such valid information to me, you should do so with more enthusiasm. It makes my job much more...tolerable. Do you understand what I'm saying?" The blonde nodded. "Good. Now tell me what you learned last week about technological immortality from Orochimaru-sama."

Pushing his bangs irritatingly from his tanned face, the blue eyed boy stated: "Orochimaru-sama explained to me the process in which he had been studying regenerative medicine. Instead of the traditional usage of replacing tissue however, he conducted an experiment with super strength DNA from enhanced soldiers that had been rejected from the bloodstreams of his ill patients."

"Did he tell you the results of these experiments?"

Naruto gave an incredulous look. "Didn't he? Obviously, his theory failed if he couldn't help the patients he used."

"Anything else he might have mentioned?"

"I...don't think so." Confused blue orbs seemed to glaze as though the blonde wasn't sure of his own conclusion.

The silver haired tutor made a noise of understanding and thoughtfulness, proving that the man knew something Naruto did not. Turning his attention back to his student, Kabuto said, "Well, then, I guess we are done for today. Tomorrow, we'll finish up on biological immortality." He then gave the teen a playful smirk. "Maybe even catch up on some of your Latin, perhaps?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, gathering his handbag that had conveniently been lying behind his chair. With a lazy wave of his hand, the teen made his way out of the library's quarters and unto the direction to his bedroom.

Kabuto watched him leave; half satisfied with the boy's schooling and half frustrated with the other's predicament. Shaking his head in exasperation, the young man couldn't help but feel sorry for the kid. He was right in the middle of an experimental war, and he didn't even know it.

* * *

Quick footsteps echoed loudly as the person connected to the sound raced to reach the corridor's staircase. Guards and the staff gave a one finger salute to the Uzumaki youth as he climbed the steps and reached the hallway's entrance.

With carelessness and being totally clueless, Naruto swung his handbag upward and narrowly missed hitting the antique vase that was decorated in front of the warrior printed wallpaper. Hastily, he bent down to unzip his bag to rummage inside the material; he wanted to adjust his books to aligned the reading articles so that the bag would be easier to carry.

Unbeknownst to the teen, a pair of golden colored eyes watched him from a story below in excitement, scrutiny, but also a bit of guilt. The man watched as the youth cursed under his breath, and rearranged the inside of his bag for a second time.

Turning around to make sure the guards had departed and exhaling some air out of his lungs, the man stalked his way to the blonde while pocketing the syringe he had at his side.

He mentally prepared himself on how he was, yet again, going to deceive the thirteen-year-old. It wasn't as though he hadn't tricked the boy before. The man had undoubtedly been using Naruto experimentally for the past five years. Still, he knew that what he were doing was wrong, and that if he ever got caught, he would spend the rest of his remaining life in prison.

What helped with the man's situation was that at the end of their usual testing, the boy would forget about them and his memories would be pushed to the back of his brain methodically. With a pleasant (or as pleasant as he could), the man said,

"Hello, Naruto-kun."

Naruto snapped his head up to gape at the long haired male that towered over him in mild surprise. The same chill feelings he got with the man returned to him; like with Kabuto, there was something about the other that he just didn't trust. Composing himself as best he could, the teen zipped up his handbag and threw it over his shoulder as he stood on his feet.

"Good afternoon, Orochimaru-sama," the blonde said politely, yet reluctantly.

"I presume your teachings with Kabuto-kun went well."

Naruto eyed his teacher warily with a shrug. "It was okay, I guess."

"And what about your father? I really haven't found the time to meet with him."

Naruto frowned, not at all liking the sly smile the pale man had on his face. "I'm surprised you're even interested. You and I both know that if you had the right amount of supporters, you'd remove my father from his position at the drop of a hat."

Orochimaru gave the youth a mock hurtful expression. Frankly, he was used to the teen's cynical attitude towards him. "You hurt me, Naruto-kun. Yes, your father and I have our differences, but I _do_ have some respect for the man. I would never do anything to hurt him...or you."

_Liar_, they both accused in their minds at the same time.

"Is there a reason why you came to see me? I'm already finished with my schooling for the day." Orochimaru smirked at the annoyed look on the blue eyed boy's face as he crossed his arms over his chest in defiance.

"As a matter a fact, there is. I wanted to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"I think I might have found a way to heal my patients without the use of DNA. Come closer."

"Why?" Naruto asked, taking a step back on instinct. His stomach began to churn; warning bells were ringing in his head.

As if to read his mind, the pale man grinned reassuringly. He crept closer to the teen, relishing in the slight fear and apprehension in his eyes. Naruto licked his lips in a nervous gesture. He knew the man was up to no good, the suppressed gleam in his sickly yellow eyes explained it all.

"Don't be afraid, Naruto-kun. It will only hurt for a moment."

The blonde's eyes widened as Orochimaru brought out the syringe. He didn't even get a chance to scream because, before he knew it, a mild pinch was felt at the bottom of his neck. Naruto hissed through his teeth as the drugs gradually began to circulate throughout his system.

The teen saw bright dots dancing in front of his vision, as his now sluggish body began to sway back and forth. The last thing the boy saw before he surrendered to the darkness were the same golden eyes, staring at him almost pitifully as though he were a lost soul.

Long pallid arms held stiff shoulders steady; the long haired man had caught the unconscious youth before he had hit the floor. Checking to see that the coast was clear from all angles, Orochimaru picked up the teen, and carried him bridal style down through the hallway.

Hurriedly, the man had to hid behind one of the bedroom doors seconds later as the mansion's main cleaning lady made her check rounds on the second floor. Orochimaru loosened his grip on Naruto when the woman walked past them, nearly dropping him in the process. With his knee, he shifted the blonde boy to rest his head against his shoulder.

Peeking his head out, he found that no one else was around and exited from the bedroom. When the teen in his arms started to stir, Orochimaru quickened his steps to resume his travels to the upper floors.

* * *

Dizziness.

Pain.

Confusion.

Those were the first words that popped into Naruto's mind as his golden lashes opened in a flutter. His temples were pounding with what he can identify as a self-induced headache. Hazy blue eyes gazed upward at a smooth white ceiling. When the smell of antiseptics met his senses, the blonde scrunched his nose cutely.

He then began to cough a couple of times as more chemicals in the air assaulted his nose. _Am I in the hospital?_ Trying to raise his arms, Naruto was shocked to find that his limbs were restrained, and that he was lying horizontally on a metal gurney. Panic set in, and Naruto struggled; he moved crazily on the restricted space.

Taking a general look at his surroundings, the teen found that he was in a lone room without any windows filled with medical equipment, an IV was attached to his vein in his left arm; a heart monitor was to the side, a few feet away from him.

It took Naruto's muddled and scared mind to realize he wasn't alone. Familiar voices resounded all around him, but he couldn't pinpoint the assailants. Frightened tears rolled down whiskered scarred cheeks as glistening cerulean eyes bounced back and forth.

The voices got louder, and the blonde felt his chest become tighter while his body shook; he was on the verge of hyperventilating. Suddenly footsteps came forward halting him, and mentally Naruto knew this was how people felt during their last moments of life. _I'm going to die...  
_

"Calm down, Naruto-kun."

Fearful blue orbs turned angry as Orochimaru expertly maneuvered his way passed the equipment, and knelt down to be at eye level with Naruto. Behind the pale man was Kabuto adorned in a white lab coat and three other younger people whom the blonde didn't recognize. The teen started struggling again as long fingers stroked his blonde hair comfortingly.

"What am I doing here?! Why are you doing this to me?!" More tears escaped his blue eyes; inwardly, the youth was berating himself for showing off how scared he was. He thought of the fright as a weakness. He didn't want to show that he was afraid of this crazy man.

"This isn't the first time we have explained this to you, Naruto-kun," Orochimaru sighed, removing his hands from the younger male's hair, "and unfortunately, it won't be the last."

"Let me go, you psychopathic freak!" Naruto tried to push himself up, away from the calculating eyes of the others in the room, away from the man his father said he should always respect.

"I cannot do that. You may not realize it now, but you are doing Konoha a great service."

"What the hell are you talking about?! What are you--"

"Can you please shut him up, Orochimaru-sama," one of the younger persons, a redheaded woman, muttered irritably, "he's giving me a headache."

**"****Shut up, bitch!"** Naruto screamed, his azure eyes changing to a dangerous red-violet.

The girl took a step back at the killer intent Naruto's natural aura was seeping out. Her white haired companion snickered beside her, earning him a glare and a smack on the back of the head. Their much larger counterpart remained quiet, staring at the blonde with a bit of curiosity and contemplation.

Orochimaru stood upright with a chuckle. "Nice of you to join us, Kyuubi-sama."

Crimson eyes gaped at the pale man's form; with a sadistic fang tinted smile lifting his pale lips, Naruto-Kyuubi giggled manically. **"One of these days, I'm going to tear you to shreds, rip out your spine, and then feed it to you by shoving it down your throat, snake bastard."**

Everyone, excluding Orochimaru, shuddered in maddening fear. Not at all fazed by the possessed blonde's threats however, the yellow eyed male signaled for Kabuto to get started with the proceedings. The other three left the room to follow him, and head to their own destined workstations.

"Promises, promises," the so-called snake man taunted. "I wonder how Naruto-kun would feel if he heard his precious _friend_, "he spat the word 'friend' as though it were deadly, "was sprouting such violent nonsense."

**"Leave the gaki out of this!" **Kyuubi hissed maliciously.

"You know this is for the boy's own good," Orochimaru checked the blonde's vitals before walking to the other side of the gurney to retrieve a clipboard, "you also know that you're dangerous, but you're also very valuable. Do you know how many people would kill to have you in their clutches?" Kyuubi growled, but otherwise didn't say anything. "And I know this would be hard for you and Naruto-kun to believe, but I do care somewhat for the boy. I'll do everything in my power to keep him as comfortable as possible."

* * *

R & R please. Thanks! Hope you like!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto

**Summary: **Sasuke couldn't move, couldn't think. How he wished he had noticed before. The same whisker marks and sparkling blue eyes belonging to one Uzumaki Naruto, the same kid whom mysteriously vanished months before - the missing boy. AU SasuNaru.

"Others Speak", **"Kyuubi Speaks"**, _"Thoughts, Etc."_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Multiple bodies stood around almost chaotically as several high school students waited to be handed their permission slips for the annual field trip to Kyoto in what appeared to be a jumbled form of a line. Sasuke scowled impatiently while he lingered, wanting nothing more but to leave the chatter and closeness of his peers.

He expertly ignored the giggles and blushes of the various females in the classroom, each girl giving him meaningful looks before averting their eyes when he stared straight in their direction. When it was his turn to retrieve the slip, he snatched the sheet roughly from the unsuspecting teacher's hand and stomped away from the class in annoyance.

The raven then stalked away from the high school building hurriedly afterward; he didn't feel like running into any of his fangirls nor did he want to see the confused and worried faces of his friends Neji and Shikamaru. For the past two weeks, the Uchiha had come to school with a haunted glint in his eyes. True, he was still the same expressionless bastard he had always been; but there was almost a melancholy feel to anything and everything he did.

He couldn't help but have these feelings though. His thoughts were muddled, his emotions (no matter how well hidden) were haywire and it was all thanks to that hypnotizing, troubled blue eyed missing son of the Yellow Flash, Uzumaki Naruto.

_Naruto. _

Just the thought of his 'real' name brought an unexplained emptiness to his whole being. Why was he thinking about the boy so much? Shouldn't he have been able to forget about him like his brother, mother, and even Naruto himself had wanted? Why did everything in his life have to be so damn complicated?

With so many distractions in his mind, Sasuke had easily made his way home in a short amount of time. His mother greeted him with a warm smile as he came inside and started his walk up the stairs. He nodded his head in return, but honestly he had wanted to disregard his family all together. He felt betrayed by all of them.

Securely looking his door after entering his bedroom, the raven haired teen threw his backpack carelessly onto his bed and then came to turn on his computer and monitor with graceful speed. He rotated his chair in front of him and took a seat while he dragged his body closer to the screen. After catching his mother going through his files on his computer he had made sure to have a password and lock to gain entrance into any of his history, files, emails, etc.

It took him less than five minutes to access the Internet. Using a search engine, Sasuke quickly submitted to his new preferred hobby - finding out as much information as he could about the Yondaime Hokage Namizake Minato and his son. Many of his site favorites on the task bar were from a web-based encyclopedia that showcased facts and reports on people, places, and certain items.

On one of the webpages that informatively addressed a warped version of Naruto's life story, a link unexpectedly pop opened - _Sannin, J. (09-20-04).The Hokage's missing son. Namizake-Uzumaki Foundation__ - _and Sasuke found himself greatly intrigued. He then clicked on it using his mouse; the link brought him to a forum where numerous message users either gave their sympathy on the missing blonde or their support on helping with the search in finding him.

The raven scrolled down the page of hundreds of entries, not at all impressed with the false sense of hope that these anonymous persons sprouted needlessly. He was about to exit out of the forum, when a particular user's name and admission caught his attention.

_Hidden Blue (Kakusa re ta aoi) Look underneath the underneath. Friends are enemies. Enemies are friends. Trust no one. Everybody's a suspect._

Leaning back against the soft cushion of his seat, Sasuke furrowed his brow as he read the entry over and over again. What exactly did this individual mean by that? The Uchiha couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but there was more to this message than a seemingly misunderstood simpleton spreading nonsense over the web.

Sasuke clicked on the user's name and the maneuver brought him to a blank page. The teen frowned as he refreshed the page a few times to get some other result. He then pressed the 'back' button to arrive on the forum's home page when nothing else happened. _What was that all about? _The raven asked himself. _And why wasn't I able to get on that user's personal page?_

With a resigned shrug, the obsidian eyed boy stood up and sauntered away from his computer for the time being. He had some more thinking to do. And with the field trip coming sooner than he would have liked, he knew the next couple of days were going to be exhausting.

* * *

There was a slight drizzle outside. Nothing yet to be concerned about - after all, minimal amounts of rain never hurt.

The light noise of the precipitation against the hardened door and clear windows was enough to put a small smile on Naruto's face momentarily as he sat hunched over on his bed in the minuscule hotel room. The delicate red silk bedsheets underneath the tanned blonde's palm was masterfully made. He absentmindedly rubbed the cover to feel the coolness on his skin.

Deidara had ordered two queen sized beds as he and Sasori were to share one and Naruto was to have the other for himself. It was highly appreciated that he were able to sleep alone. Usually, the blonde had to be content with what he was given whether it be a shared bed, the floor, a cot, or a sleeping bag.

The trio had arrived two days before. The older blonde with his redheaded secret lover were being as flirtatious as they could be and a newly blonde Naruto without his whiskered scars to the chagrin of Sasori after much coaxing from Deidara and Naruto. Looking back, the blue eyed teen revealed to himself that he had actually had fun on the ride over.

And even with the petite size of their paid room, Naruto enjoyed the atmosphere of it. The crafted wooden walls gave a sort of country look while the clean and refined floors gave mass sophistication. Inclining upward an inch, the Uzumaki spent a few more minutes staring into space. Quite frankly, the boy was homesick. He had been ever since this whole thing had started.

He missed his godfather's womanizing ways and interesting quirks, his grandmother's volatile language and obsessive drinking, and even the guards' stoic attitude when he _wasn't _around to make silly faces at them. But mostly, he missed his father. He missed him a lot.

Involuntary tears escaped his now shut eyes as he curled into his body. As much as he tried to stop them the tears just kept coming, cascading freely down his almost cherubic cheeks. He then wiped furiously at his eyes with a new resolve. The blonde reminded himself that he had to be strong. He couldn't show anybody weakness, not even to his own self.

Rising from the bed, Naruto made his way to the bathroom for a shower. He was glad to have an extra few hours to be alone; it made him a little less paranoid. And as nice as both Deidara and Sasori were, the blonde knew he was still trapped like a prisoner. Even if he wanted to escape, he had nowhere to hide. _Besides, they _know_ I wouldn't - couldn't - run away._

Inwardly within the teen, a deep rumbled voice scoffed indignantly at the thought.

* * *

The stunning greenery surrounding the various construction as the sun rose higher in the day was pure awe and inspiring. The rain had discontinued a while before. Uchiha Sasuke, however, wasn't able to enjoy the beauty of the scene for two reasons: one, he had been to this place a number of times and two, it's hard to be pleased about anything when you have a bunch of stranger leeches trying to drape themselves all over you.

The museum he and his select group of classmates were to view consisted of several buildings that housed great works of Japanese and Asian art. They were led through a garden by one of their chaperones, a crazy teacher by the name of Gai-sensei. The thick brow of a man excitedly talked about the history behind when and how the structures were built with an underling of the word 'youth'. It was all very ridiculous, as far as the raven was concerned.

"I hope this is all very amusing for you," said the irritated raven as he glowered over at smirking male Hyuuga who was walking alongside him.

_At least I'm with _one _sane person, _observed Sasuke eying his long haired friend. His group was made up of four others excluding Sasuke and Neji (it would have been five but Shikamaru decided to stay home that day): a shaggy brown haired teen named Inuzaka Kiba, the annoying girl Haruno, a silent boy called Aburame Shino, and an androgynous male named Haku.

What Sasuke didn't count on after another fifty minutes of trivial sight-seeing was for the six of them to be directed away from the museum and into the chaos of the bustle in the city. Even though they weren't even a couple of miles from where they had been before, the black haired teen found himself grinding his teeth. It only got worse as many girls and some guys watched him appreciatively as they strolled by.

"Not enjoying the attention?" Neji asked him in mirth. The Uchiha glared, but otherwise kept silent.

Sakura witnessed their display with a slight smile on her face. She thought the two were very cute and she enjoyed their company, even with them blatantly oblivious to her. When Sasuke slowed down his walking and moved closer to the pink haired teen, her eyes sparkled and she could feel as her face grew hotter.

Contrary to what the girl may have assumed, Sasuke had went into a bit of a shock, and gradually came to a stop all together. Realizing his friend wasn't by his side, Neji turned around and gave the other a bemused look.

"Sasuke?" The other male said.

The onyx eyed boy wasn't paying the Hyuuga any mind. A few feet away from them came a boy around their age, bumping his way through the mounting crowd. The said boy was wearing heavy clothing with a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap on.

What caught Sasuke's attention to the other that would have otherwise been incognito was the sliver of blue peeking out from behind his dark spectacles as they slipped down a tanned nose. Blue colored eyes were not common in Kyoto, and the Uchiha would've probably let it go after awhile naming him as a foreigner. But when those blue morning eyes behind those glasses widened in recognition as they looked back at Sasuke's midnight ones, the world seemed to tilt on its axis as the two boys gazed at each other.

The stare down was broken as the other boy took off in the other direction in an alarming sprint. The raven stood for a brief moment before taking off behind the running male. He ignored Neji's calls and warnings; all he was focused on were those blue orbs getting further and further away from him. And so, for the youngest Uchiha son who was used to getting anything he wanted, he wouldn't let the other get away.

The boy led him through a couple of alleys inbetween certain buildings. Sasuke decided to cut him off, so he took a different route and almost literally ran into his pursuit next to a hotel in the back. The boy gasped in surprise as Sasuke smirked in triumph. The raven could see the wheels spinning in the other teen's head in way of an attempt to flee.

"Hello, _Akihito._" Sasuke mockingly addressed in a smug voice. The teen flinched visibly. The other then began to move his head right and left in what the older male supposed was a last ditch effort to get away. Sasuke lost his playfulness as he did so and hissed, "What are you doing here?"

"I...and you...but..."

"Spit it out, Uzumaki!" The raven snapped.

"W-What are _you_ doing here?" The now revealed Naruto retorted in his panic.

"Answer me first," Sasuke countered, feeling very angry. How could the boy just be wandering around almost casually while there were loads of people trying to find him? Did he just run away from home? Was this all just a big joke to him? And if so, who else was in on it?

"You," Naruto stated in a shaking voice before taking a deep breath to start again with more confidence, "...you weren't supposed to see me again. I...I have to get back to the hotel. I was only going to be out for a little while. If they find out I left, they'll-"

"Who's they?" The raven interrupted crossing his arms over his chest.

The blonde shook his head in distress. "Please, Uchiha. Just leave it alone. Forget about them, about me..."

Naruto stepped forward, intending to pass the raven teen but Sasuke blocked his way. "No."

"Please..."

"No." The other teen repeated stubbornly, removing Naruto's glasses to reveal glossy sapphires. "I want you to tell me - did you run away from home or were you kidnapped?"

The blue eyed boy shut his eyes in his misery as he swayed backward. Sasuke watched him with careful consideration. It may have looked like an unfair interrogation, but the Uchiha was desperate for answers. He had to know the truth, he just had to!

"Tell me," Sasuke continued in a softer tone, thinking it would relax the obvious despondent male, "I can't take this guilt anymore."

"Well, I-"

"Sasuke-kun!" A shrill voice cut through in the close background. Sasuke cursed under his breath from the intrusion while Naruto's head snapped up to resume his dread. The pink haired girl stalked from around the corner panting. She then followed with a huff. "Sasuke-kun, are you okay? I told Neji-kun that I'd be the one to-oh," she exclaimed as she looked up to see the unfamiliar boy in their midst, "hello there. I didn't know Sasuke-kun was busy talking to someone."

"Yes, I am. So, if you don't mind-"

Sakura brought her hands to her hips in a scolding fashion. "Gai-sensei is going to wonder where we are. We should head back."

"That's-"

"And who are you?" The green eyed girl said, directing her attention to the Uzumaki with a curious look. "I've never seen you around before. Are you in any of our classes?"

"Beat it, Haruno!" Sasuke snapped.

Sakura looked back at the Uchiha with a look of hurt. She began to glance between the two males in confusion. The unnamed teen began to fidget in his stance. When she gazed back at the other boy, she became intrigued with his eyes. Being the intelligent person that she was, she scrutinize the figure a bit more. _Those eyes...I've seen them before._

"Wait...don't I know you from somewhere?" The pink haired teen forgot all about Sasuke in favor of the silent boy.

She crept forward cautiously, wanting to get a better glimpse of the other teen. A distinct click stopped her in her tracks as heavy pressure jabbed on her head. The two boys seemed to cease their movements as well. Sasuke was narrowing his eyes and the blonde looked downright frightened.

A reflection glinted on the top of Sakura's light cheery hair as a sinister smile spread on the stranger that hid in the shadows. Sasuke couldn't tell what the figure looked like; they had themselves well hidden. He did recognize the object in his hand as a gun; and with that, he grew apprehensive but determined. Haruno, on the other hand, was terrified beyond belief.

"Yes, you're right," the menancing voice mused in ridicule as he pushed the gun frontward to his hostage, Sakura winced at the action, "he's very familiar. Then again, the Yondaime's legacy isn't too hard to miss."

The pink haired girl didn't have time to enlarge her eyes at the information. She didn't have time to yell out that this interesting looking boy was in fact Minato-sama's missing child. She didn't have time to confirm with her Sasuke-kun that what was said was true or not. All she had time to do was yelp out as a large arm came around her throat and held her in place painfully.

The threatening person tightened their hold on the choking girl when the raven took a intimidating step forward. A growl from his right spun his head to stare into Naruto's face. What he saw brought a chilling shiver to his body. The blonde's eyes were shifting back and forth from an innocent cobalt to a dangerous ruby. It was evident that the Uzumaki was still scared if his trembling was anything to go by. All of a sudden, with a maneuver Sasuke didn't think was humanly possible, Naruto lunged to the figure in an animalistic fury.

The stranger laughed and went to the side to avoid the attack as he pistol whipped Sakura. With a pained scream, she fell to the ground unconscious. The unknown person then swung the weapon and pointed it at the enraged blonde. Before he had a chance to pull the trigger, Naruto was on him. His hands - _claws, _Sasuke realized- swiped down and scratched at the now identifiable man's face. A terrifying screech sounded in their surroundings and the raven watched in horror as the two fighting men abused one another.

The man surprisingly had the struggling Naruto on his back in minutes. The Uchiha looked around to see if he could find anything to stop him from hurting the other. A shot rang out and Sasuke jumped expecting the worse. Instead, the man that had attacked slumped on top of the blonde sluggishly. Further away from them stood an older blonde with his own gun raised at his eye level in their direction.

* * *

The sirens and ambulances illuminated the dark alleyway of the city as the noon turned into a cool evening was flashy. The orange and purple highlights in the sky added to the effect of a colorful foreshadow. Sasuke observed the sight soundlessly away from everyone else. The police had the place in the corner off limits; the yellow tape encased as a crime scene.

Officers and medics alike questioned and looked him over continuously. He had told them all the same story he didn't know how many times. The raven could admit to himself that he was a bit worried over his classmate Sakura. Luckily, the girl only suffered a mild concussion and a few cuts before she was driven to the nearest hospital. What surprised the Uchiha was that he was even more worried over Naruto.

He hadn't had a chance to speak with his teacher about the whole incident. Neji had tried to find out what had happened, but the other raven was very tight lipped with the affair.

A delicate hand touch his upper shoulder. Sasuke was about to tell to whoever touched him to go away. He was quite astonished to find blue eyes staring back at him. Naruto gave him a nervous smile and scratched his unmarked cheek sheepishly.

"Are you okay?" He asked him in a whisper.

"Fine."

The blonde downcast his eyes in what appeared as regret. "Is your friend okay?"

Sasuke wanted to roll his eyes and say that Haruno was in no way, shape, or form a friend. She was an irritating bother, in his opinion. But in this certain circumstance, he felt half at fault for the girl's injuries. He figured admitting that she wasn't a friend wasn't the right thing to say at the moment.

"She'll be okay." The black haired boy muttered after a pause. "She has a slight concussion but it will pass."

The blonde sighed in relief, his smile becoming more genuine. The two then grew quiet; the disarray enveloping them an insignificant activity to the many questions swirling in the young Uchiha's mind.

"I should go." Naruto said suddenly, breaking the Sasuke from his thoughts. "I'm not even supposed to be here."

The blue eyed teen twisted around to amble back to where ever he had come from. The raven grabbed his elbow before he could leave. Sasuke couldn't have that. He was more puzzled than he had been that day when his brother had brought the younger teen to his home.

"What are you?" Sasuke seriously asked. Naruto didn't answer, choosing to instead to gaze at the dirtied sidewalk. The raven took a different approach. "Whoever has you, has you because of...whatever happened earlier, right? I have to know."

Naruto was immobile for a long stretch of what was probably a few seconds before he nodded slowly. Sasuke nodded his own head, albeit only once then released the other teen from his hold. Even though he was now sure that the Hokage's son was in trouble, he felt that if he told anyone the situation would become worse. Itachi had warned him, after all.

The blonde sauntered a couple steps before unexpectedly turning around and grasping the Uchiha by his shirt in a kind embrace. Sasuke's eyes widened comically as he experienced a warmth he couldn't even remember having with his family. The Uchihan law was that they were to remain cold and unfeeling towards others. Things such as hugs and emotions were taboo in their household. The raven briefly held the other back on the shoulders before Naruto pulled away to give the pale boy a breathtaking smile; Sasuke had to clench his fist to lessen the tingles in his body from that face.

"I wish things had been different. I would have liked to have had you as a friend."

And with that, Naruto ran off into the distance. The various colors not even enough to enhance the absolute radiance that danced around the blue eyed blonde. Sasuke watched him go helplessly, not at all acquainted with the feelings surfacing inside him. Unbeknownst to the duo, a pair of brown eyes had witnessed the interaction with a critical gawk.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed.**


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